This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Posted: 12:37 PM- President Bush is expected to meet with LDS Church leaders next week, the first meeting since the new general authorities were sustained in February.
The meeting between Bush and the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is scheduled for May 29, said Rob Howell, a spokesman for the church. The White House has not released details of the trip.
Other Utahns will pay handsomely to meet with Bush, as he visits the state to raise money for Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign and the Republican Party.
Supporters are being asked to raise or contribute $30,800 per person or $70,100 per couple to attend an intimate reception with the president hosted by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at Romney's multi-million dollar Deer Valley home, according to the invitations for the event.
The contributions go to a joint fund-raising account, McCain Victory 2008, which parcels the money. For example, from the $70,100 donation, $2,300 would go to McCain's campaign; $2,300 to McCain's legal compliance committee; $28,500 to the Republican National Committee; and $37,000 that will be divided up between the Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico and Wisconsin state Republican parties' federal accounts.
There is also an afternoon fundraiser with the president, hosted by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., with a $500-per-person price tag and a host committee lunch for those giving $10,000 per person. The event was originally scheduled at the Grand America Hotel, but organizers are looking to relocate the gathering.
"Romney had a very powerful fundraising operation with a lot of donations coming out of this area, and of course now he can leverage that to help McCain," said Quin Monson, a Brigham Young University political science professor. "And the McCain campaign clearly needs the money to compete. They're clearly not raising the small donors' money that Obama is."
McCain visited Utah in March with Romney to raise money at an event at the Grand America Hotel, and a private reception with EnergySolutions executives.
McCain's campaign report through the end of April showed he had raised $502,650 from Utah donors. Barack Obama has raised $584,009 and Hillary Clinton raised $489,842 through the same period.
Romney, who was head of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Utah, raised $5.5 million before dropping out of the presidential race and endorsing McCain.